Board approves one‑year MOU with teachers to change high‑school schedule amid student and board concerns

The Nashua School Board voted to ratify a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Nashua Teachers Union that adjusts the high‑school schedule for the 2026–27 school year, implementing a rotating block model with teachers preparing no more than three unique course preps some semesters and introducing study‑hall limits.

Public commenter Gary Hoffman urged the board to pass the MOU, calling it the most important vote of the night because it caps teacher preparations and limits study‑hall sizes, which he said would ease the increased workload created by the schedule change.

Several board members and student representatives said they remain worried about the implementation. “The students are really, really worried about this change,” one board member said during the discussion, and student speakers reported concerns about stricter phone rules, new lockboxes in classrooms and possible conflicts for clubs and extracurriculars that are being moved to after school.

Administrators and union negotiators framed the MOU as a one‑year arrangement intended to accommodate the district’s scheduling change while protecting teacher workload. Board members asked administration to provide periodic updates on the MOU’s effect on instruction, CTE pathways and AP or career programs that run on different schedules; the board requested monitoring during the school year and said such findings would inform future budget and staffing choices.

The motion passed and the board committed to receiving reports on the MOU’s implementation and impacts. Any decision to reverse schedule changes would be tied to the district’s budget and staffing cycle and would require planning for future years.